CSI: Old Friends
by PadfootsMoonyPrincess
Summary: Nick meets an old friend at an unlikely place.


No copyright infringement is intended by this story. I own nothing, I'm only playing around with the CSI characters. Like anyone would do any less with Nick Stokes...

Turbulence on landing was rough, especially for a private jet. My attention left the magazine I was browsing to look out at the Las Vegas landing strip. Dusk in the desert. The bright, twinkling lights glowed in the distance. How had I gotten talked into this one?

"Jessa, ready to go?" my fiancee's voice broke into my thoughts.

Looking into his chocolate brown eyes, I knew. He could ask me for almost anything and I would agree. I loved this man.

"Yes, Eric. Let's go." Standing up from the plush seat, I took his offered hand. As Eric bent his head down and I tilted my face up to his. Our lips met, simply a brush. Stepping back, I grabbed my tote and holding Eric's hand departed from my father's company plane.

Outside the climate controlled jet, the air was stifling. A few hundred yards from the plane waited our ride to the hotel. The driver held open the rear passenger door for us to enter the comfort of the cool limo.

"I don't know if I am ever going to get used to this type of travel. It is so different from the coach travel I was used to." Eric whispered to me.

Smiling I assured him, "It will come to you." It was amazing that he wasn't used to the pampered life yet. We had been together for the past four years. Ever since meeting in The University of Texas at a frat party, we had been almost inseperatable. Then, last July 4th, he surprised my family and myself when he finally proposed. Of course I accepted, and my family was thrilled.

Eric may not have been blue blooded, but he worked hard for what he had. His parents died when he was 15, in a horrible car accident. After being passed around from relative to relative for a year, he found a home with his spinster Aunt Ella. She was the first stable, and loving home he had since his parents died. He worked hard to get good grades, and ended up being awarded a full scholarship to The University of Texas. In college, even after we met, his school work came first. By the time we graduated, he had been recruited to a great PR firm. Now he was quickly climbing the latter of success. Within a year of working at the firm, he made Vice President. I was immensely proud of him.

I, on the other hand, am a rich princess. OK, not in a bad way. My father is a stereotypical Texan. He made a killing in oil, and was smart enough not to put all his eggs in one basket. So now he has an empire. I, being his only daughter, get to be pampered and spoiled in some ways, but my parents made sure that I was always level headed. I went to public school, I rode the bus. I also had a closet full of Prada, Gucci, and Dolce and Gabana. My parents raised both me and my two older brothers to be self respecting and respectful individuals. However, I traveled first class all the way. I got used to having a plane filled only with my family, myself, and the people paid to wait on us. Eric was new to it all.

"So where are you, Jessa?" Eric murmured to me.

Blinking away my thoughts, I answered, looking into his eyes, "Right here beside you, Eric."

The limo made its way through the strip. The lights flashing past on the way to the hotel.

"I have a question for you?" I said to Eric.

"What's that?"

"Why did you want to have our engagement festivities in Vegas?" I laughed.

Eric watched me laugh and responded with, " Well I thought you and everyone else could use a break, and this is a very fun place. I figured you and the family and our friends could relax, catch some shows, gamble, you know release the pressure."

"Ah, you don't want us crazy Texans too stressed, what with all the weapons we have available." I joked. Eric laughed with me and hugged me close.

"We just need a little break and a weekend in Vegas with everyone just relaxing is going to do everyone a world of good." I agreed as the driver pulled into the hotel. First class of course, we were guided directly inside and ushered to our suite.

Inside the beautifully decorated rooms awaited our luggage. Also waiting was a lovely welcome basket from the hotel, inside was fresh fruit, a bottle of wine, and a bottle of champagne. Beside the basket sat a lovely floral arrangement. I walked to the basket and grabbed a handful of grapes. Munching on the grapes, I turned to Eric and asked if he wanted a class of wine or champagne.

Within three steps he was in front of me. Taking the grapes from my hand, he lifted my chin so I was looking up at him. "Wine wasn't what I had in mind." With that he took my mouth. I suckled on his bottom lip as his tongue licked at my lip. My hands roamed his neck, holding him to me. Moaning, he broke the kiss.

"Wha--Why did you stop?" I stuttered out in a haze of lust.

Reaching down, he lifted me into his arms and carried me into the bedroom. The bedroom was prepared ahead of time I realized. There were dozens of candles lit and the bed was turned down. He lowered me slowly to the bed as his lips claimed mine. My hands went to work at trying to remove his shirt from his chest. I needed, I wanted him naked. He was tugging on the thin straps of my sundress as I kicked my feet free of the sandals they wore. My fingers gave up on trying to coax the buttons of his shirt out of the holes, and my hands tore it open, buttons popping off.

"Why, Jessica, I never knew you had that in you." Eric chuckled against his lips. My body was finally free of the sundress and the only thing left between us and complete nudity was my panties and his pants. My hands worked at his zipper and his hand moved to remove my panties. Seconds later our bodies were bare, and then he covered me. My breasts pressed against his chest as we tangled together. I kissed his neck and licked across his chest coming back to his mouth. Eric broke the kiss and together we guided his raging cock into me. I felt myself tighten around him and he started to move. Harder he pounded into me, as I clutched at his shoulders and drug my nails down his back. Grabbing his ass, I urged him on. His hands worked into my hair and with a tug he had me over the edge as he ravaged my exposed neck. As I came, my pussy clutched around his dick. Within a few more stokes he was spilling his hot cum inside me.

"Ummm, I really needed that." I moaned into his mouth as a made myself more comfortable. He spooned against me. Our bodies were slick with sweat. We fell asleep.

Waking up, I realized that I was alone. Eric had pulled the sheet up around me and blew out all the candles. Where was he? I got up out of bed and walked to the bathroom. Turning on the tap, I tested the water and after adjusting the temperature and adding bath salts and bubble bath, I walked out to the living area of the suite. There was a note on the stand by the basket. It read, "Hey honey, you looked so sweet lying there sleeping that I couldn't bring myself to disturb you. I have too much energy to stay in the room. Going to play some craps, be back after while. Love you, Eric." I smiled to myself and started back to the bathroom. Halfway there, there was a knock on the door.

Lucky I grabbed my robe, I thought as I went to the door. "Who's there?" I asked making sure the robe was tied well and everything was covered. "Ms. Clarington?" called from behind the door. Looking out the peephole, I saw two people, a man and a woman both dressed in dark clothes. The man's jacket had a patch on the chest that said Las Vegas CSI.

Opening the door, I asked, "Yes I am Jessica Clarington, who are you?"

The woman, older than me but very attractive, answered with, "I am Katherine and this is Gil Grissom with the Las Vegas Crime Scene Investigators. We thought the police would have already been here. May we come in?" She finished while taking in my state of undress. Remembering that I was undressed and preparing for a bath, I excused myself telling them that I had to turn off the bathtub water and allowing them to enter our suite.

I turned off the water, and made sure I was modestly covered by the hotel bath robe (which on my five foot tall frame, managed to cover me from neck to ankle). Returning from the bathroom, I realized that Katherine had said that the police had supposed to have been here. Was something wrong in the hotel? I wasn't prepared for what they told me when I sat down.

"Ms. Clarington, we just talked to the police and they decided that we should go ahead and tell you the reason for our being here. I, we are extremely sorry to inform you that your fiancee, Eric Shell, was found dead in another room here in the hotel." Katherine told me in a mix of professionalism and actual sympathy.  
I felt myself go numb. Eric, dead? How can that be? He wrote me a note that he was going to gamble for awhile and come back to me. How could he be gone?

"Ms. Clarington? Are you alright? Is there someone we can call to be with you?"

Looking up to face these strangers. Strangers that just pulled the rug out from under my life, I took a deep breath and asked for the one person I new was already in Las Vegas. "Nick Stokes. I think you both know him. He works for the CSI here."

Gil looked at Katherine with blatant curiosity. "Nick and I are both from the same area of Texas, he was great friends with my older brothers. Please, can he come be with me?" I asked still holding on to my tears.

"Yes, of course. I will go ahead and call Nick up." Gil murmured. He got up from his seat and walked out toward the door so he could have privacy with the call.

"Katherine? May I ask something?" I asked closing my eyes.

"You can ask, but I am not sure that I will be able to answer." Katherine sat down next to me on the couch.

"You said that Eric was in another hotel room? I don't understand, when I woke up from my nap, there was a note. Eric wrote that he was going to play craps and would be back later. Why would he have been in another hotel room? Are there private games or something?" I asked genuinely curious since it made no sense to me.

"Well there have been private games that occur in hotel rooms, but we aren't sure exactly what the case is with Eric just yet." She answered me honestly, and yet I felt she was holding something back. Gil returned to the sitting area.

"Nick will be right up. He didn't realize that you were here. So Ms. Clarington, what brought you and your fiancee to Las Vegas?" Gil asked curiously.

"It was Eric's idea. He thought that instead of a regular engagement party this weekend would help the wedding party and our family and friends relax. I don't know why he picked here honestly, I have never been here before." I answered feeling the pain come rushing to me. "God, if we had just had the stupid engagement party back home, he would still be alive." I thought out loud as the tears came.

I heard someone knock at the door as I sat there sobbing. Nick's voice broke through my tears and then he was beside me. I turned into his arms and he held me as I cried.

"Oh, Jessa, I am so sorry. I would have been up here first if I had known it was you." He whispered as he stroked my back.  
"Why, Nick, why did this have to happen to us? We are, were so happy. Eric is, god was, the sweetest man I ever dated." I moaned into his shoulder. After letting go with my grief, I started to calm down while Nick soothed me just holding me and rubbing my back. I am not sure how much time had passed, but I realized that crying wasn't going to help and I needed to be strong. Sitting up, Nick handed me some tissues. I wiped my face and realized that Gil and Katherine were still in the room. Something was wrong, why were the CSI interested if Eric died…Unless Eric didn't die of natural causes.

Taking a ragged breath, I asked something that I dreaded to know the answer to. "How did Eric die?"

"He was murdered, Jessa." Nick said, holding my hand, the same hand that wore the ring Eric had given me a month before. Looking down, the tears still falling, I couldn't believe it. My Eric, murdered. Why, what had he ever done to deserve this?

"I hate to do this, Ms. Clarington, but the police are here and they need to ask you some questions." Gil said breaking the quiet of my thoughts.

"Yes, of course. Ask me anything. Just find who did this to him." I said trying to stop the cascade of tears that felt like would envelope me at any time.

"This is Lt. Brass, of the LVPD. He will be asking you the questions." Nick introduced.

"Will you stay with me, Nick?" I asked not wanting him to go.

"If it is alright with Lt. Brass, I will." He promised.

"That would be fine, Ms. Clarington." Lt. Brass intercepted. "Now, I am sorry about your loss, but I do have some questions for you about your fiancee. If that is ok with you?"

"Again, yes, ask anything. Just find the person who took him from me." I agreed again.

"OK, well what brought you to Las Vegas?"

I explained how Eric had sold me on the idea of an engagement celebration weekend instead of a party at home. He asked if either of us had ever been to Vegas before. I said that while I hadn't I thought that perhaps Eric had before. I wasn't sure when but I thought that he had mentioned that he had visited the city before. He inquired whether or not we had been intimate prior to him leaving for the evening. I told him honestly that yes, we had, but that Eric always showered afterward and would have been dressed in different clothes than what I had last seen him in. In fact, I said his travel clothes were in the bedroom on the floor. He asked if they could have those clothes for evidence and I said go ahead take them if you need them. He asked if I thought Eric had ever been unfaithful. No, never. Eric loved me and wasn't the type of man who would do something like that. He asked if Eric had any financial problems. I said I couldn't understand how he could, he was a Vice President of a very impressive firm. I admitted, however, that I didn't know his bank account balance or his pay. I felt so cold, so broken, talking about Eric in the past tense.  
"Ms. Clarington, when will your family arrive in Las Vegas?" Lt. Brass asked. Looking very worried about my well being.

"Tomorrow, Eric wanted us to have time alone before everyone else got here." I answered shivering.

"Jessa, do you have anyone with you tonight?" Nick asked with concern.

"No, I don't. Mom and Daddy won't be here until morning and everyone else is due by noon. Should I call everyone and tell the m to stay home?" I asked, not knowing what would be the appropriate thing to do.

"I will call, Joey, he will take care of everything." Nick said, referring to my oldest brother. "I think your parents and brothers will want to be here, and my sister too. However the rest might not be a good idea."

I agreed and Gil and Katherine looked at me as though they needed something else. "Ms. Clarington, I hate to ask, but can we get some samples from you. It will make it easier to process evidence if we can rule your DNA and transfer to Eric first." I agreed and they swabbed my mouth took hair and other samples and they left.

"Nick, I hate to ask you this, but…" I started.

"Jessa, I am staying with you tonight," he finished. "I just need to head out for about an hour. I will call Joey, get a change of clothes and be right back." I also knew he had to confer with the rest of his CSI team and the police. I agreed and then Lt. Brass assured me that there would be an officer outside my door until Nick returned.

"OK, thank you for all your help and concern." I said as I walked the four of them to the door. Glancing outside I saw that I actually had two uniformed police officers outside.

After closing the door and locking it. I stumbled back to the bedroom and throwing myself on the bed allowed the pain to overtake me again. Eric, gone. No more kisses, no more strong arms holding me in the night, no more waves of passion, my heart was breaking. Slowly I pulled myself up and new I needed to clean myself up and get dressed. Walking into the bathroom I saw the cooling water in the bathtub. Reaching down I let it drain. I stepped into the shower, where I knew Eric had taken his last shower. It still held the scent of his shower wash. Masculine, musky, Eric. I turned on the hot water and stepped under the flow barely feeling the heat. I was so cold. I washed away the residue from the last time Eric and I would ever make love and scoured the hair that he lovingly pulled. Turning my back to the steady flow of hot water, still not feeling the heat. I could tell it was hot, I saw the steam, but felt barely none of the heat. I lost track of time and didn't realize it until I heard someone pounding on the door. Stepping out of the shower in a daze I made my way to the front door in only a towel.

"JESSA, JESSA. Answer the door, Jess." I heard Nicks voice desperately calling.  
I opened the door and Nick stood looking like he was ready to tear the door down. Seeing me he released a deep breath. "My God, Jess, are you ok?" He asked as he rushed inside the door carrying a small overnight bag.

"My world just stopped spinning, Nick. What do you think, am I ok?" I asked quietly.

Looking at my legs and shoulders that weren't covered by the towel, his eyes took on a more concerned look. "Jess, what did you do to yourself?"

"What? Nothing I took a shower." I said, not thinking of how hot the water was.

"Jess, your legs, your shoulders, honey, they are blood red." Nick said staring at my beet colored legs. Looking up into my face, he saw that I didn't feel the pain. "Come on, lets get you some lotion on them." He led me into the bedroom and asked me where my lotion was packed.

I pointed to my overnight bag where all my cosmetics were stored. He opened it and rummaged until he found a bottle of my scented lotion. Sitting me down on the still unmade bed he poured some lotion out on his hand and asked for my arm. I extended my arm and watched as he lathered up the reddened skin. I could barely feel his touch, but I watched as he gently rubbed the lotion into my red flesh. Nick rubbed both of my arms and then did my legs up to where the towel covered. When he was finished, he told me that he was going into the sitting room and asked if I could lotion the rest of me and get dressed.

"Yes, Nick, I think so." I murmured. He walked out the door with a sympathetic glance.

Slowly I lowered my towel and rubbed my lotion into my skin on my belly, my upper thighs, and my chest. I realized that I couldn't reach my back. "Nick, could you come in here, I can't reach my back." I yelled. "Sure," he called back. I covered my front the best I could while leaving my back exposed. He walked in and took the lotion from me. With tenderness, he lathered my back. "OK, I think that does it." Nick replied. "I will wait in there for you." He left and I dressed. I put on my silk pajamas and pulled my wet hair into a high pony tail. I couldn't believe how numb I felt. Would I always fee so damn numb? I walked out into the sitting room.

Nick was sitting on the couch, watching television at a very low level. The news was on and I saw our hotel on it. I realized that it was a report on Eric's death. Sighing I walked over to the couch and flopped down beside him. "Is it normal to be so numb?" I asked as he turned the television off.

"Yes, Jess, it is normal to take this hard." Nick said, pulling me into his arms. Holding me he told me that it would be normal to be angry, normal to be hurt, normal to fall apart. His talking soothed me and I stopped crying.

"I think that I am empty," I whispered, sitting up. I felt like my tears would never come back. Now I started to hurt. Literally, my legs and arms and well all of me were on fire. "Ouch, I think I over did it in the shower." Nick pulled away, afraid of hurting me more.

"Do you want me to call the hotel doctor?" Nick asked, concern filled his voice.

"No, no. I think it is just tender, not really hurting, just a little sore." I promised. "So Nick, tell me, what should I expect? I mean am I a suspect?"

"No, actually Katherine called me while you were in the bedroom and said that you have been removed fully from the list of suspects. However, you or someone else will have to, well, um, identify the body." He finished awkwardly.

"When? I mean when do they need this done?" I asked.

"Whenever you are ready to. Or whenever you pick someone to do it." He assured me.

"How about in the morning, after my parents get here, can you schedule it?" I asked wanting it to be done with.

"Yes, I can do that," He told me. "If you are sure you want to do it that soon."

I assured him that I did. I heard his cell phone buzz. Answering it, he got up from the couch and I curled up on my side of it. I could hear him say, "you are kidding, right?" I wondered who was calling and thought maybe it was a girl friend or something. He finished up rather quickly and came back to the couch. Sitting down at my feet, he turned to look at me. I could tell that there was something that he was trying to decide how to tell me. "Nick, is something wrong?" I asked, not sure I wanted to know the answer.

"Well, Jess, there is something I have to tell you. I am just not sure how to tell you this though." He wavered.

"Nick, just tell me. I think that we have known each other long enough to be upfront." I said quietly.

"OK, here goes. Gil and Katherine did some preliminary identification. When Eric's prints were ran through the computer, they got a hit."

"Are you saying that Eric had been arrested?" I asked confused.

"No, the hit was for an Enrick Lafferty. His mug shot also matched 'Eric's'. Jess, Eric, well the Eric you knew isn't really Eric Shell. Apparently, Enrick, killed Eric and took over his identity." He explained. I was so confused. Eric wasn't Eric?

"I don't understand. Why, how? It makes no sense." I reeled out.

"I know it doesn't and we will learn more. Tell me everything that Enrick, Eric told you about himself." So I did. I told him everything that Eric had told me about his life. I told him about the death of his parents, about him living with his Aunt Ella, everything as I knew it. Nick listened only stopping once or twice to ask me a few questions.

"Well, the background you gave me almost matches what Katherine and Gil found out about the real Eric Shell. Except Eric didn't have an Aunt Ella take him in. He stayed in foster care until going to college." He explained, "I could tell you what I think, from what we know of Enrick Lafferty. I think that Enrick picked Eric, and after learning about his background he killed him. We know that Enrick was a con man, he'd been picked up for it. He was also married, to a Ellen Lafferty. I think that is 'Aunt Ella'. Jess, I think they picked you, they were going to get your trust fund," he finished.

I let what he had just said set into my mind. Eric, crap, Enrick killed the real Eric and took over his identity to meet me and take me for my money. Suddenly little things started to come to mind. I remembered that when I asked him to meet his Aunt Ella he always put me off with she was too ill to travel or didn't have room to have us visit. I remembered talking to her on the phone and was surprised to hear how young she sounded.

"My God, I was such a fool. I was grieving for him. He lied to me, how did I miss it? How did Daddy miss it? You know he had him investigated. How did this slip through?" I was angry now. I realized that the "Eric" that I loved didn't exist. I felt so stupid. My numbness ended.

"Jess, he was well versed in how to get away with stuff like this. He knew how to answer questions that came up and even how to cover if your father investigated him. You weren't stupid, he was just too good at what he did."

He calmed my anger and talked to me into something to eat. I was amazed at how the weekend was going. I came to Las Vegas to celebrate my engagement to someone I thought I loved, and within under 12 hours everything was turned upside down. My fiancee wasn't who he was supposed to be. He was dead, murdered. I was turned upside down and by my side was a guy that I hadn't seen in 5 years. A guy that when I was 15, I would have given anything for him to talk to me, comfort me the way he was doing tonight. God I wasn't actually thinking romantic thoughts about Nick now was I?

"Hey, what are you thinking over there?" Nick asked across the small hotel table the next morning.

"Sorry, I was just kind of amazed at how my weekend has turned out." I replied, thinking I was crazy to think about Nick this way. I mean shouldn't I be grieving still?

"Yeah, I know it was rough on you. I am sorry how things turned out, but at the same time relieved that it didn't get you hurt." He said looking into my eyes. Was I seeing an interest in me, or was it just sympathy.

"Well my parents should be here in an hour. Daddy said he would go with you to identify the body if you need him to."  
"Actually I guess I forgot to tell you. Katherine called a little while ago, while you were waking up. The found Ellen Lafferty and her new boyfriend early this morning. They confessed to killing Enrick. So the case is closed." Nick said with finality.

"Do you know why they killed him?" I asked curious.

"No, but I am sure they are telling all." Nick said and took a drink of juice.

"I guess you will be back on the job today then?" I asked laughing. "Hopefully the next time we see each other I won't be a blubbering fool."

"Oh, Jess, I understand what happened to you wasn't easy. I just wish we had stayed in closer touch. Last time I saw you, you were just a little high school girl. You are a lovely woman now."

"Gee, thanks Nick. Was I so ugly when I was younger?" I joked, enjoying the lighthearted turn the conversation took.

"No, but you were younger. I was terrified Joe or Jason was going to figure out that I was checking out their baby sister and beat the crap out of me." He confided.

"You checked me out?" I asked truly surprised. "I thought I was the one checking you out. I loved when Joe invited you over. A whole weekend with you in the same house as me was something I bragged about at school. Even if you didn't pay any attention to me." I added.

"My God, if you really knew how much attention I paid to you, well you father would have had my head." He laughed. Just then there was a knock at the door. "Darn, I think he figured me out."

I walked to the door and opened it greeting my mom and dad. When they saw Nick, they embraced him, just as they always did. Our parents had always been close and Nick and my brothers were constant fixtures at each others houses. After reminiscing for a few minutes, my father asked about the situation with Eric.

While Nick filled him and Mom in on everything, I walked to the terrace and walked outside. The heat felt wonderful, my suite overlooked the pool of the hotel. I watched as people, some my age, some younger, some older everyone having fun. I wanted that, I wanted to have fun, I wanted to go back to before I met Eric, before I fell in love.

"Honey, come in out of the heat." My mom called through the terrace door.

I walked back into the suite. Nick and my dad were sitting in the chairs flanking the couch. Apparently they were finished with their discussion of Eric and what happened. Now they were talking about whatever men talk about when they talk.

"Well, Jessa, I guess that we will be leaving for Texas in the morning. I don't think that you would want to stay here too much longer." My father announced. Nick looked up at me and I thought about what I could have if I stayed in Las Vegas a little longer.

"Actually, Daddy, I think I am going to take a longer vacation than originally planned. I need a break and especially after what happened I want to just be away from everyone's questions for a little while." I said, surprising myself.

"Well, honey, we thought you might want to have family around you at this trying time," my mom broke in.

"No, Mom, I was made a fool out of and then the man I thought I loved was murdered. I know the debs will be on me like, pardon the expression, white on rice. I am not ready for that, yet. I don't know when I will be, but I think I deserve a break." I rushed out.

"Well, Jessa, I think that is a good plan for you. However, I don't like the thought of you being alone out here." My ever protective father put in.

"She won't be alone, Mr. Clarington, sir." Nick interrupted. "I am here, and actually I am taking a vacation for the next two weeks. So I can keep Jessa company."

This surprised me, Nick didn't say anything before about a vacation. Was he already planning a vacation or was he just rescuing me from having to return to a snake pit of venomous debutantes? I didn't have time to think about his reasons, I acted.

"See, Daddy and Mom? I won't be alone. Nick will show me the sites and I can recover myself before coming home. That is if you can spare me, Daddy?" I asked although I already knew I was staying.

The next morning I saw my parents off from the airport where they boarded the company's private jet. Nick stood beside me waving them off. I turned to him and asked what I wasn't sure about.

"So did you really plan on taking a vacation for the next two weeks or were you just rescuing me again?"

"Honestly? I haven't taken a vacation in three years. I figured what better a way to spend two weeks than with a lovely woman from my past?" He asked looking down at me.

I looked up at him and saw something I never saw in Eric/Enrick's eyes. I saw real passion and concern for me. "Well, let's get started then. Where are we going to go, and what are we going to do?" I asked quickly.

A flurry of activities followed, for the first three days we saw shows, gambled (very little), did all the touristy things people do in Las Vegas. We didn't do the one thing I thought about constantly though. We never kissed, never touched at least no more than two friends would. The fourth night I was in my suite getting ready to go to dinner. I decided to outdo myself. I brushed out my long hair and twisted it up into a loose knot. I put my makeup lightly, only enhancing my eyes. My dress was a lovely empire waist black crepe that ended just above my knee. I finished my look with simple black "flip flop" like low heels. Looking in the mirror, I was happy with the overall appearance. Nick, I hoped would love it.

I had called room service earlier in the day and now the sitting room was set up just as I asked. The small table was white cloth covered and held two silver covered dishes. The champagne was chilled and sitting, uncorked by the table. Candles were lit throughout the suite, the bed was turned down. I turned the stereo system on, and put on a melodic CD on, just as a knock came to the door.

I walked over to the door, and asked mockingly, "Who's there?" Laughing I opened the door to a startled Nick. He stood there looking absolutely gorgeous in a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt with a sport jacket. He was taking in my outfit as I ushered him in.

"I changed our plans. Hope you don't mind." I said as I presented him with the atmosphere I had created.

His answer was turning to me, and pulling me into his arms. I looked up into his eyes as he whispered, "Are you sure this is what you want, Jess?" I answered by reaching my arms around his neck and dragging his head to mine. My lips brushed his. Sighing he pulled me closer to him and took my mouth. Our mouths, with the pent up passion from the previous three days, tasted and tempted. I pulled away reluctantly.

"Don't you want dinner first?" I whispered. His answer to me was picking me up into his arms and carrying me to the bedroom. Setting me down beside the bed, he started to unzip my dress. I pulled off his jacket. With both of us working on ridding the other of our clothes, we were naked in no time. Standing naked before him, with his eyes drinking me in, I never felt more beautiful.

Bending his head to mine, our lips touched. I licked at his bottom lip as he nipped at my top lip. Wrapping my arms around his neck, his arms wrapped around my waist pulling me closer and pressing our bodies tight against each other. The kiss deepened, our mouths promising our bodies what was yet to come. My hands searched, running through his close cropped hair, around his ears, down his cheeks. His hands flattened on the small of my back, smoothing down over my ass and back up teasing at the nape of my neck. He broke the kiss. His head dipped lower, tasting and teasing my jaw line, lower to my neck, he nuzzled the curve where my neck turns into my shoulder. Nipping at my neck, licking and tempting. I turned my head to his neck and lightly lapped at his neck. Kissing and working my way up, I took his earlobe into my hot wet mouth. Sucking slightly, I heard and felt his breath intake. He released a ragged breath and pulled away from my teasing tongue.

Pulling away from me, I felt coolness where seconds ago was burning heat. I whimpered and looked at him wondering why he moved away. Before I could speak he was back, lifting me into his arms again and laying me down on the bed. Moving over me, he whispered, "I thought this might be more comfortable lying down."

Lowering his head to mine again, his mouth claimed mine. Moaning my arms wrapped around him again, running down the muscles of his back, settling at his ass. I could feel the hardness of his cock pressing into my belly as he moved his lips from my mouth. Working a trail from my mouth down my body he settled on my left breast. Flicking his tongue out, he teased the puckered nipple, and caused me to writhe. Arching my back, his mouth enveloped my breast, sucking while his hand found my right nipple. My hands held his head to me, begging him not to stop. He rose from my right breast and followed suit on my left. The hotness of his mouth was driving me crazy and I wanted more. His mouth left my breasts and he moved down my body kissing. Teasing at my belly button, he moved lower. At the apex of my thighs, he stopped, looking up at me I could see the lust in his eyes.

His head dipped, but his eyes stayed on mine as his tongue gently lapped at my wet slit. Watching him, watching me while he ministered the most tender caress, I felt myself getting wetter. Nick licked and suckled at my clit and I felt myself coming unglued. My hands found his head and as he brought me over I bucked up to his mouth and cradled his head as he caught my climax with his mouth. Coming back to my senses after the shatter of orgasm, I pulled his head up my body and back to my mouth. Kissing him, I tasted myself on his tongue and rolling put him under me.

Loving his mouth, the way his mouth just loved me, my hands roamed down his body. Gently grazing over his nipples, down his chest I roamed. Breaking the kiss, I began to explore with my mouth. Kissing down his neck, I could feel his pulse beating against my mouth. Licking along his shoulder, I moved lower. I reached his nipples and nipped each with my tongue. Further down I moved, until I was where I wanted to be. Taking his cock in my hands I looked up to see him watching me. Wanting to return the favor, I lowered my head and kept my eyes on his. Flicking my tongue out, I teased the tip, tasting pre-cum on the head. Opening my mouth, I sucked the red tip into my hot mouth. His hips rose off the bed, but my hands held him where I wanted him. Sucking and twirling my tongue around the head, I began messaging the shaft with my hands. Moving a hand to the base, I worked my mouth down taking as much of him into my mouth as I could, relaxing my mouth to let some saliva out, I started pumping my hand up and down working him with my hand and my mouth. His hips kept moving off the bed, I felt his hands in my hair and watched his eyes glazing over with lust.

Suddenly I felt him moving me from him. Questioningly I look at his face. "Jessa, I love what you are doing, but I don't this to end this way," he whispered. Pulling me up on the pillows, he rolled me onto my back and kissing me positioned himself between my legs. I felt the head of his hard cock pressing against my wet pussy. Pulling back and looking into my eyes, with a thrust he entered me. Holding me in his arms, together we moved together. Our bodies pressed together as he filled me. He thrust harder and faster and our mouths met. With our mouths and our bodies locked together my nails raked down his back, clinging to his ass and pulling him to me harder. I could feel my orgasm building, his thrusting quickened and together we came.

Nick , exhausted, lay down on me. His head rested in the curve of my neck and we lay together letting our breathing return to normal. A few minutes later he rolled off of me and pulled the cover up over us. He pulled me to him and cradled me in his arms. Kissing me again, he asked, "where do we go from here?"  
I hadn't wanted to think about what happens next. I had a life in Texas, but that life, well part of it, was a lie. What I wanted was for this, this feeling I had with Nick to last forever. Was I willing to say that now? Sighing, I answered, "I don't know, Nick. What do you want?"

"You, this, now. I want this, us, only I don't want it in a hotel. I want us. The us that has fun. The us that knows one another. The us that has passion and lust. Jessa, I want you." Nick said, shocking me. Nick had always been honest, but I didn't realize that he really felt the way I did.

"Are you sure? I mean, Nick, we haven't seen each other for five years. Couldn't this just be lust that just came up from us crushing on each other when we were younger?" I asked, afraid that he would change his mind, but needing to know for sure.

"Yes, I was in love with you when we were kids, and when I walked into this hotel room the first night I realized I still do. Jessa, you are the woman for me, but there are some things that we would have to look into." He said, as I digested the fact that Nick just said he loves me.

"Nick, before we get into any issues we need to look at. Could we go back to the part where you said you love me?" I asked glowing.

Laughing he looked into my eyes and said, "Jessica Clarington, I love you. I have since you were 15, I have since I saw you standing here with your world crumbling around you. I will love you even if you decide to leave me and go back to your life in Texas."

Giddy, I sat up on the bed, hugging the sheet to my chest. "Nick, I love you too. I think I just gave up on the fantasy of having you in my life, so I found someone else. When Katherine and Gil came to my hotel door and told me that news, the only person I could think of to lean on was you. I want this too. I want you, I love you."

Agreeing to put off the issues that we need to work through until the morning, we snuggled down close together and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
